MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 26, 2024
Last year, nearly 15.3 million tourists came to the state. They spent $9.1 million. All told, 2023’s tourists kicked $16.4 billion into Maine’s economy. There’s no reason to expect that this year will be different – and people in the industry are feeling optimistic. Maine has long been the beneficiary of a trend called “slow travel,” where visitors select their destination with longer and more involved stays in mind – stays that are then more lucrative for local economies. Visitors’ tendency to “immerse” themselves in Maine, unlike in other U.S. hot spots. Standing in the way of a full recovery to prepandemic health, however, is the now-chronic labor shortage. Increasing temporary nonagricultural worker visas (H-2Bs) and sensible reform of asylum seeker work authorization are absolutely critical.